The phone call is experiencing a renaissance. Once the golden child of desired advertising outcomes for direct response marketers, calls were overlooked when the Internet Age put clicks on the ad metrics map.

But as mobile has transformed the way we communicate and made smartphones into our own personal sherpas, marketers of all types have once again set their sights on calls and call analytics to help evaluate advertising impact.

In fact, BIA/Kelsey estimates mobile search will generate 73 billion calls to businesses in 2018. Even the power players – Google, Facebook and Twitter – have established some form of call analytics for their direct response marketers.

Proof of performance, cross-media attribution, offline metrics and ad optimization are the primary values delivered by tracking call analytics. Whether on the buy or sell side of the marketing equation, these tenets are consistent among directory providers, agencies and ad tech providers, national-to-local brands and SMBs. However, each sector uses call analytics in a slightly different way.

The Value Of Call Analytics

Here’s a look at the value call analytics can bring to the ad performance equation.

Local Search & Vertical Directories. Those­ demonstrating the offline lead activity that their properties generate for an advertiser are key to program success and growth. Traditionally, online directories generate high offline call volumes and high conversions – but they have to prove it.

Whether it is Yelp, AutoTrader, YP.com, OpenTable, or another digital directory, media properties need ways to demonstrate their performance and reach to both SMB and national brand advertisers.

With call analytics, these properties can show the holistic online-offline view of lead generation. Call analytics also help round out the attribution picture by revealing which directory distribution partners are delivering the most offline phone leads.

Search Agency & Ad Solution Providers. While these don’t have their own properties to sell into, proving that their ad buys and other online marketing solutions are generating leads is a top priority. Optimization is also a factor.

Providers use call analytics not only to track the calls generated by specific paid search keyword campaigns, but also to monitor the offline lead generation success of other digital marketing sources like email campaigns, web pages or mobile ads.

In fact, many have integrated calls within bid management dashboards to see what keywords are driving calls and conversions, and how the resulting call activity compares to clicks. After all, it is a delicate balance of generating leads and optimizing the available ad spend to drive the best results.

Agencies and ad providers also track multiple points on the consumer path to purchase through to calls, going beyond just engagement with an ad.

Whether it is a website visit or landing page hit, many directories, agencies and ad providers use dynamic number insertion (DNI) or dynamic call tracking to follow a consumer from the initial search result to landing page to phone call via unique phone number to track cross media attribution – bridging the online-offline gap and yielding proper attribution for these visits.

National Brands. Think of how many calls are generated by a national insurance ad campaign. Progressive has Flo, Geico has the gecko, State Farm has Aaron Rodgers, and the list goes on. Think again about how many of the resulting calls are directed to local agents and how that activity is tracked.

Call analytics allow national brands to better understand their lead generation profile – whether it is evaluating calls by ZIP code, gender, or other key demographic identifiers – but also test what campaigns are driving higher quality leads. Using call data to conduct closed loop conversation measurement and even integrating the data into their CRM system provides an opportunity to track lead attribution from customer interactions through the conversion.

Additionally, operational insights on how calls are handled in a call center or at a franchisee or local dealer are helpful in improving customer service and operations. These takeaways could be tracking missed call rates, examining call durations, or evaluating call handling compliance, e.g., greeting keywords, not naming competition, etc.

Call Analytics for SMBs

Lastly, all three of these groups – directories, agencies and ad solution providers, and national brands – are providing call analytics to SMBs through their various programs. SMBs are generally distracted by the business of running their companies so most work with advertising providers for guidance in creating awareness and driving foot, phone or online traffic to their business.

Call analytics are well received by SMBs as they easily understand the value of a phone call and potential impact on their bottom line. Certainly, some are too focused on the number of calls generated when it really should be more about quality. However, they largely embrace the concept and while they aren’t tracking calls back to a keyword level or specific ad placement, they are concerned with whether the money they spent on an ad provider is legitimately helping to make the phone ring.

Mobile has helped fuel the increased adoption of call analytics and tracking phone calls beyond the clicks among all digital channels. As a result, the phone call has come full circle and regained its position as a trusted cross-media performance metric that provides clear attribution and proof of performance for all major areas of the direct response advertising arena.

]]>http://marketingland.com/boost-ad-performance-metrics-calls-2015-114669/feed1How Offline Became The Next Big Digital Thing (Hint: It Involves Your Smartphone)http://marketingland.com/rise-offline-offline-became-next-big-thing-105390
http://marketingland.com/rise-offline-offline-became-next-big-thing-105390#commentsFri, 31 Oct 2014 13:04:11 +0000http://marketingland.com/?p=105390Columnist Bill Dinan offers insights into how mobile is helping to drive offline conversions, and how you can harness it to best effect.

Mobile is a powerful channel that yields significant offline activity.

Consumers are using their mobile devices to make decisions offline, such as what to buy and where to buy it. In fact, nearly two-thirds (64%) of mobile-driven purchases happen offline. That’s a big number. Who would have thought that the rise of mobile would breathe new life into offline conversations?

xAd/Telmetrics Mobile Path-to-Purchase Study 2014

As more and more of consumers’ search time has shifted on-device, marketers are now hyper-focused on the offline impact of ad programs. This includes how to measure offline activity and accurately link it back to online and mobile sources.

Making That Missing Link

For a lot of marketers, “offline metrics” refers to in-store visits. The rise of location-enabled technologies, including the latest beacon technology, has helped make it easier for marketers to connect with shoppers in-store as well as measure those valuable touchpoints.

Calls are another powerful offline metric. While mobile devices are used to search and find products to buy, destinations to visit and places to eat, they are also used to call these same establishments and service providers to get more information and make transactions directly.

In fact, it is often overlooked among the many uses of mobile devices today that one of the primary purposes for smartphones is to make calls. From plumbers and pest control to pizza and hair salons, a call is one of the most common secondary actions after a search query or ad click.

Don’t Forget The Telephone App

While in-store metrics are getting a lot of the offline attention, calls should not be overlooked. They can reveal a lot about the consumer and his or her unique path to purchase. For example, mobile shoppers that place a call to a business are more likely to make a purchase.

Mobile shoppers want to convert quickly and look for businesses nearby to do so. In fact, according to our 2014 Mobile Path-to-Purchase study with xAd, 61 percent of shoppers that click on mobile ads prefer those which include a phone number for the business. Overall, half of shoppers that take post-click secondary actions want to purchase within the hour, and 70 percent go on to make a purchase.

For marketers, offline call analytics reveal valuable advertising, engagement and purchase insights. Call elements such as volume of calls, call durations and calls that went unanswered can help track the impact of an ad and also capture what happens between the ad impact and the purchase point.

Caller demographics such as male or female and geographic location help marketers refine their target audiences and to whom to tailor ad campaigns. In addition, linking call tracking numbers to specific campaigns can highlight which ads, distribution partners or creative helped drive quality calls. Marketers can use these offline insights to refine and optimize their existing campaigns for increased lead generation.

But just as offline interest has spiked, so, too, has the role of attribution and determining which media and which campaigns generated a specific lead. Calls are an essential piece of the offline attribution puzzle as rich call analytics can help marketers not only accurately identify the source of the lead but also reveal purchase indicators and conversions.

Keep An Eye On The Big Picture

As offline becomes a focal point among marketers, it is more important than ever to keep the big picture in mind and understand the various ways that mobile drives consumers’ path to purchase. Applying trusted attribution metrics – including both in-store visits and calls – is a key piece of this strategy as they effectively bridge the gap between mobile ad strategies and offline transactions.

Measuring ad campaigns across multiple media is complicated, but universal metrics like calls and other secondary actions such as coupon and map downloads can help link digital and mobile engagement to offline consumer response and are strong conversion indicators for many categories.

Calls and other direct response metrics are key in helping marketers accurately attribute lead generation, determine which ad investments are truly paying off and where changes can yield more targeted results.

As up to 53 percent of mobile shoppers contact a business by phone, call tracking technologies such as dynamic number insertion (DNI) can reveal pre-conversion engagement behaviors and trends by enabling advertisers to tie calls placed from websites back to the online or mobile source that delivered the lead.

Putting Online-Offline Attribution Strategies Into Practice

Here’s how two different marketers are using calls to help bridge the online-offline gap and address attribution challenges head on:

Anyone making travel arrangements knows that a significant part of the reservation process fits into the classic online-offline dilemma. Many consumers still research travel arrangements online and then book offline, mostly via phone, as some travelers inevitably call the hotel to ask questions, confirm accommodations and compare pricing with what’s available online, etc. before booking a reservation.

One leading hotel chain had been utilizing mobile click-to-call, or taps on a call button, to measure calls but lacked true visibility into anything beyond the tap/click to determine if the call really happened. In an effort to more accurately track which networks, distribution partners, placements or creatives are driving quality leads, the hotel chain started measuring the actual phone calls that connected via call tracking technology.

As a result, they were able to glean actionable intelligence about the phone leads, including tying unique leads back to specific mobile and digital partner placements. The company also measured/tested various display creative, ad partners and then used these attribution insights to drive more consumer conversions and achieved a 33 percent increase in overall campaign ROI.

In another example, a large local-national digital agency helped a pest control brand close the online-offline gap and reduce their cost per lead by 32 percent.

Calls are a key lead source for the pest control category, so the agency sought a way to measure the volume of calls driven to the corporate website by the digital campaigns, for both performance reporting and program optimization.

To effectively optimize SEO and SEM efforts, the agency needed to track and attribute calls to paid and organic search separately. Utilizing DNI to add a short segment of JavaScript on the brand’s website, the company dynamically replaced contact phone numbers with call tracking numbers based on the lead source.

As a result, SEO lead attribution rose 19 percent and SEM attribution jumped nearly 30 percent. In addition, the agency leveraged the call data to optimize program performance, reduce the cost per lead, and ultimately, reveal more insight about the calls they were already generating.

Cross-Screen Performance Metrics Are Key

The bottom line is marketers must adopt strong, cross-screen performance metrics and best practices to effectively track shoppers’ online-offline purchase cycles. Establishing these practices will not only prove the full impact of their digital and mobile campaigns but also inform future digital campaign strategies based on a complete picture of what has driven a successful consumer response in the past.

]]>http://marketingland.com/mapping-purchase-cycle-answer-online-offline-attribution-challenge-98182/feed2Last-Mile Local Marketing With Mobile: An #LSA14 Retrospectivehttp://marketingland.com/mobile-offers-last-mile-local-marketing-play-local-search-association-conference-retrospective-83245
http://marketingland.com/mobile-offers-last-mile-local-marketing-play-local-search-association-conference-retrospective-83245#commentsThu, 15 May 2014 13:05:06 +0000http://marketingland.com/?p=83245Mobile devices are our own personal Sherpas — or, as Woz said in his popular keynote, “your most trusted advisor in the world.” Marketers are soaking up real-time info based on our location-based needs so they can reach relevant consumers’ hands whenever and wherever — ideally in the Last Mile of the purchase cycle. This […]

]]>Mobile devices are our own personal Sherpas — or, as Woz said in his popular keynote, “your most trusted advisor in the world.”

Marketers are soaking up real-time info based on our location-based needs so they can reach relevant consumers’ hands whenever and wherever — ideally in the Last Mile of the purchase cycle. This is the message I addressed at the Local Search Association (LSA) Annual Conference (#LSA14) two weeks ago, and the theme came through in a number of valuable sessions.

More And More Mobile

comScore’s executive chairman and co-founder, Gian Fulgoni, discussed the changing path to purchase and presented data showing that consumers are spending more time on their mobile devices than PCs and are accessing a broader variety of local content via mobile.

Fulgoni said that rather than a straight line path to purchase funnel, there is a more diversified purchase flight map (think air traffic controller), in which there are many different media channels and platform paths that consumers can use before moving forward with a purchase (likely a local, in-store purchase).

This proliferation of the multi-platform or multi-screen path to purchase is amplifying the mobile local phenomenon, where marketers have an unprecedented opportunity to reach consumers in the final stretch, or “Last Mile,” of their seek-discover-consider-act path to purchase.

Keynotes from Google and Bing also addressed the power of mobile local. In fact, the LSA announced new board members from Google, Microsoft, and Starcom MediaVest Group, all of whom have been integral to shaping today’s local advertising market.

Targeting By Geographical History

In the association’s inaugural Ad to Action Awards, ThinkNear, a location-based mobile ad company, was awarded the Mobile Ad to Action award for its GeoCookie, which enables both mobile retargeting based on where the device has been in the past, as well as behavioral targeting based on location and movement patterns.

For example, advertisers could use the GeoCookie to identify a device in an airport, or similar locations in the recent past, to determine whether a consumer is a frequent business traveler. GeoCookie enables location-specific targeting with a unique granular segmentation — all part of harnessing the intersection of local and mobile and getting visibility into the consumer purchase flight map.

The multiple paths to purchase, however, are also increasing campaign and attribution complexity, with offline measurement being a key ad performance metric for mobile local marketers. Tying offline activities such as calls and in-store visits to online and mobile campaigns is crucial to developing a complete attribution model.

The Vertical Advantage

While the mobile local movement is applicable to all vertical markets, there are benefits to tailoring the local mobile experience for a specific vertical or category (e.g., lawyers, salons, home improvement, etc). This was the topic of discussion on the panelThe Advantages of Being Vertical, with the premise being that each vertical has a distinct local and mobile buying pattern.

There are also vertical implications for attribution. Determining what consumer engagement points matter most can vary based on the category. We find this in call measurement, as well. Consumer call patterns and needs and the respective metrics are different across categories. Pizza delivery, tax preparation and pest control are all very different.

The resounding takeaway from the conference was clear: As mobile consumption continues to fragment across screens, devices and categories, the local-mobile opportunity will continue to grow. Now, it is up to marketers to harness the opportunity afforded through powerful new technologies and partners to reinforce their targeting, messaging and measurement.

]]>http://marketingland.com/mobile-offers-last-mile-local-marketing-play-local-search-association-conference-retrospective-83245/feed0Count Incoming Calls Right To Maximize Cross-Platform Marketing Returnshttp://marketingland.com/getting-call-measurement-right-key-maximizing-cross-platform-returns-76845
http://marketingland.com/getting-call-measurement-right-key-maximizing-cross-platform-returns-76845#commentsThu, 20 Mar 2014 13:00:08 +0000http://marketingland.com/?p=76845Calls are in — in a big way. The adoption of mobile and ease of satisfying a near-immediate search need with a quick phone call have fueled the universal acceptance of calls as a key engagement and conversion indicator. All direct response advertisers — regardless of size or sophistication — understand and appreciate the value […]

]]>Calls are in — in a big way. The adoption of mobile and ease of satisfying a near-immediate search need with a quick phone call have fueled the universal acceptance of calls as a key engagement and conversion indicator. All direct response advertisers — regardless of size or sophistication — understand and appreciate the value of a call.

As attribution conversations heat up and marketers look for ways to validate the performance of their various ad campaigns, many are adopting calls as a cross-media performance metric for their desktop and mobile search campaigns.

With this growth, however, it is important for marketers not to lose sight of the call measurement best practices that are essential to maximizing the value that call-based programs can deliver.

To extend the value of call-based advertising programs, marketers must adopt the following best practices:

For example, we worked with one local advertising provider that was placing ads across six different distribution partners to evaluate which partners delivered the highest quality calls and conversions.

Ultimately, the analysis enabled the provider to reduce the number of distribution partners while increasing higher quality lead generation.

2. Track Calls, Not Clicks

While click-to-call metrics validate the number of times a consumer pressed an ad’s call button, there is no visibility into whether the call connected, nor access to the additional metrics available when you measure the duration of the call.

Marketers must use call measurement technology that can monitor the entire call session to gain visibility into the engagement and conversion indicators. This data is only available when measuring calls with unique tracking numbers and is key to helping businesses evaluate lead quality and validate purchase behavior and engagement.

3. Monitor Online-Offline Attribution

Calls are a universal metric that link traditional and digital consumer response. In fact, dynamic number insertion (DNI) technologies allow advertisers to tie calls back to the online or mobile source that delivered the lead, thus bridging the online-offline attribution gap and revealing the true impact of direct response ad campaigns.

With DNI, phone numbers on an advertiser’s website or landing pages are dynamically replaced with call tracking numbers based on how the visitor arrived at the site or page — via mobile search engine and/or keyword combination, etc.

4. Block Telemarketer Spam

With nearly 40 percent of all ad-driven calls originating from telemarketers, eliminating these spam calls before they reach the advertiser is key. Marketers should seek out providers that offer robust solutions to identify and block suspected telemarketer calls from reaching advertisers.

Telemarketer spam can have serious financial implications as advertisers could be paying for costly telemarketing calls that take valuable time away from the business, so using an automatic telemarketer call block solution saves time, frustration and money as well as ensures the quality of the call tracking analytics.

5. Use Local Phone Numbers When Possible

Location matters to local search consumers — they want a truly local business — and the business’s phone number is a key identifier of location.

One of our advertising solutions provider clients ran two mirror local plumbing campaigns where the only difference was the phone number. One series of ads ran with toll free numbers and the other series of ads ran local numbers. The ads with the local numbers generated four times the number of calls as the ads with the toll free numbers.

Be wary of providers that try to pigeonhole you into toll free numbers only. It is important to ensure you have access to a scalable number of local lines including a hybrid network of digital and traditional lines.

6. Increase Conversions With Effective Inbound Call Handling

The consumer’s phone experience once the business answers the call plays a big role in determining whether the lead converts. To capitalize on phone leads and improve conversions, make sure staff is well trained on phone handling.

General sales and customer service training is a must. This includes live staffing of phones during peak call times, friendly, helpful phone staff and knowledge of relevant promotions. Also as many local businesses today rely on interactive voice response (IVR) solutions, make sure the prompts are efficient and customized for your business to help engage the caller.

Calls are now a go-to performance metric for mobile and local direct response ad campaigns, but also for generating a complete picture of results for cross-platform ad initiatives.

However, time-tested call measurement best practices are essential to optimizing the resulting intelligence for improved ad campaign performance, increased conversions and ultimately a sustainable revenue boost.

]]>http://marketingland.com/getting-call-measurement-right-key-maximizing-cross-platform-returns-76845/feed1Calls Are A Timeless Performance Metrichttp://marketingland.com/calls-are-a-timeless-performance-metric-65279
http://marketingland.com/calls-are-a-timeless-performance-metric-65279#commentsThu, 21 Nov 2013 14:20:01 +0000http://marketingland.com/?p=65279Consumers’ research and purchase patterns have been changing rapidly, keeping marketers on their toes as they modify multimedia ad programs to meet their latest needs. Despite this evolving state of media engagement, the phone call remains a “go to” consumer response across multiple media — and thus represents a strong conversion indicator for many local […]

]]>Consumers’ research and purchase patterns have been changing rapidly, keeping marketers on their toes as they modify multimedia ad programs to meet their latest needs. Despite this evolving state of media engagement, the phone call remains a “go to” consumer response across multiple media — and thus represents a strong conversion indicator for many local and national businesses.

Measuring calls goes beyond tracking call counts to capture deeper insights like call duration, call time, caller location, and caller demographics — all of which help businesses evaluate lead quality.

By linking multiple forms of online and mobile advertising to offline actions, call tracking technologies can help marketers discover which ad investments are paying off and how to make strategic modifications to generate a stronger ROI.

Calls Help Solve Cross-Media Performance Attribution Puzzle

Industry research confirms that consumers are engaging with multiple media platforms throughout the purchase process.

A recent BIA/Kelsey study shows that, on average, consumers use 6.8 different media sources when shopping for local products or services. Savvy marketers are looking to harness this trend by developing and executing multi-screen, cross-platform ad campaigns. However, measuring integrated campaigns can be an apples-to-oranges debate due to limited universal metrics.

For example, digital media is most often rated on clicks and ad impressions – data points that cannot be applied to traditional media. Phone calls, however, link both traditional and digital consumer response and can provide a comprehensive picture of advertising impact and proper attribution.

Calls Bridge Online & Offline Engagement

In addition to the cross-media attribution challenge, one of the perennial marketing questions is how to effectively close the online-offline attribution gap. While SEM campaigns provide relevant click-through data, they provide little insight into non-click activity. Call tracking can bridge the divide by revealing which websites, landing pages and ads prompted a consumer’s call.

Some newer mobile technologies are helping marketers capture in store visits resulting from online ad views or mobile searches. Utilizing a combination of call measurement and these in-store engagement technologies can provide an even more comprehensive view of the multimedia-driven purchase cycle, including which campaigns, digital assets, channels, and creatives are driving offline conversions.

Calls Play Key Role In Mobile Consumer Engagement

Without fail, mobile has provided an easy and immediate means for consumers to connect with businesses and provides another pipeline for leads, especially those driven by calls. Per our Mobile Path to Purchase Study, mobile is a primary media resource during consumers’ research and buying process and calls play a strong engagement role.

Accurately capturing mobile call-driven leads can be a challenge if marketers are only measuring the number of clicks on a click-to-call button. This is a common mistake that leads to poor call data and misrepresents the number of completed calls.

Calls: A Universal Metric

Ultimately, calls are a universal metric. Call tracking complements other media- and category-specific metrics to help marketers determine which traditional and digital ad investments are truly paying off and where changes can yield more targeted results. It also enables them to test different creatives or evaluate whether certain promotions are better suited for one platform or another, e.g., mobile vs. radio, and ultimately helps determine the best path to maximize ROI.

]]>http://marketingland.com/calls-are-a-timeless-performance-metric-65279/feed0Call-Through Rate: Key Mobile Ad Performance Metrichttp://marketingland.com/call-through-rate-key-mobile-ad-performance-metric-56886
http://marketingland.com/call-through-rate-key-mobile-ad-performance-metric-56886#commentsThu, 05 Sep 2013 13:30:50 +0000http://marketingland.com/?p=56886With as many as 60 percent of all mobile local searches leading to consumer action within the day (depending on the category), mobile consumers are ready to connect with businesses. While calls are a de facto consumer response for smartphones (it is, after all, a phone), only a small number of mobile marketers are tracking […]

]]>With as many as 60 percent of all mobile local searches leading to consumer action within the day (depending on the category), mobile consumers are ready to connect with businesses. While calls are a de facto consumer response for smartphones (it is, after all, a phone), only a small number of mobile marketers are tracking the calls generated by their mobile campaigns.

There has been a lot of talk about looking beyond the click for a more holistic view of mobile ROI. Action-based secondary metrics like map views, direction lookups and reservation bookings help confirm which mobile ad channels, formats and creative content are generating engagement, but for many local search advertisers, mobile is all about making the phone ring. The phone call is a “moment of truth” indicating an engaged, ready-to-transact consumer. Whether it’s the local plumber, moving company or auto repair franchise, calls are key to their business.

Some mobile advertisers and mobile ad providers think they are tracking calls with click-to-call programs that measure the number of clicks on a click-to-call button.

But how many of those calls actually connect? How many of them are answered? How many are generating an in-store visit, a sale, a reservation or an appointment?

Tracking Calls Beyond The Click

Marketers that are measuring calls as clicks don’t know the answers to any of the above questions because the measurement stops at the click. They cannot assume that the call connected, was answered or proved to be a valid lead. Tracking phone calls using call measurement technology, however, can provide key consumer intelligence and validate purchase behaviors and engagement.

Also, measuring the call-through rate (the ratio of ad/landing page impressions to calls) for mobile ads in which the entire call session and the associated insights are captured, is essential to optimizing and monetizing mobile.

For one leading mobile advertiser, migrating from tracking click-to-call events to tracking true calls revealed valuable lead quality insights about its distribution partners. While click-to-call tracking showed one distribution partner performing better (based on the high number of clicks on the phone number), further call-through tracking revealed that a different distribution partner was actually generating longer calls — an indication that the consumers delivered by these partners were higher-quality leads. As a result, the advertiser was able to improve its distribution strategy by placing more emphasis on the partners delivering the higher-quality leads, leading to higher overall conversion rates.

Elevating Your Mobile Marketing Performance

Taking this a step further, while click-to-call reveals the total clicks, call tracking can reveal not just the call-through rate but the number of calls answered, call duration, caller phone number and demographics, and call recordings. These operational, lead-quality and conversion insights are essential for optimizing mobile ad programs.

Also, because the value of a call transcends all media, advertisers that incorporate call tracking into mobile measurement can use it in tandem with other media. Calls are a cross-media metric that provide apples-to-apples comparisons of all advertising/marketing programs and can also help simplify performance reporting for advertisers in terms they can understand and value.

Today, too few mobile ad programs truly measure and monetize calls, and marketers that are just tracking the number of clicks on a phone number or call button don’t have enough intelligence available to effectively optimize their mobile ad spend. As advertisers align calls with a successful lead more often than any other consumer engagement point, measuring calls and the associated call-through insights is key to elevating mobile marketing performance.

]]>http://marketingland.com/call-through-rate-key-mobile-ad-performance-metric-56886/feed1DNI – What Mobile Search Marketers Need To Know About Online-Offline Attributionhttp://marketingland.com/dni-what-mobile-search-marketers-need-to-know-about-online-offline-attribution-46130
http://marketingland.com/dni-what-mobile-search-marketers-need-to-know-about-online-offline-attribution-46130#commentsThu, 06 Jun 2013 13:30:08 +0000http://marketingland.com/?p=46130With the rise in mobile marketing, measuring the online-offline attribution of a mobile search campaign has only increased in complexity. Most marketers today are making valiant efforts to track all secondary actions – from phone calls and driving directions to map and reservations look ups – but tracking a call back to the specific mobile […]

]]>With the rise in mobile marketing, measuring the online-offline attribution of a mobile search campaign has only increased in complexity.

Most marketers today are making valiant efforts to track all secondary actions – from phone calls and driving directions to map and reservations look ups – but tracking a call back to the specific mobile search campaign that drove it is not as simple when working with a high volume of campaigns. As a result, dynamic number insertion (DNI) is one of the key online-offline attribution tools mobile marketers should have in their toolkit.

With DNI, phone numbers on an advertiser’s website or landing pages are dynamically replaced with call tracking numbers based on how the visitor arrived at the site or page. So, a consumer who browses directly to a brand or business webpage would see the official business phone number (or a static call tracking number). However, consumers reaching the webpage through a DNI-enabled mobile search campaign would see a unique call tracking number that can be used to track which campaign, keyword, app or search engine led the consumer to the site.

This enables advertisers to tie offline calls back to the online or mobile source that delivered the lead, thus bridging the online-offline attribution gap.

There are two primary methods for DNI phone number replacement: 1:1 and session based, also known as number pooling. In 1:1 number replacement, there is a different unique tracking phone number assigned for every referrer and/or keyword combination. While this offers 100 percent lead attribution accuracy it can be complex to scale across large campaigns effectively.

Ad providers, agencies and brand marketers with complex and expansive national campaigns could be using thousands of search engine-keyword combinations and individual call tracking numbers for each combination simultaneously—which is a considerable investment.

As a result, DNI enablers have been offering ad providers and marketers session-based or number pooling solutions, in which web sessions cycle through a pool of call tracking numbers and any resulting calls are matched to back to specific sessions through date and time stamping.

Buyers should be aware of some of the limitations of traditional number pooling solutions as cycling through a set of call tracking numbers can potentially skew results. A site with high traffic periods, like a pizzeria on a Friday night for example, can cycle through a set of numbers quickly and depending solely on date and time stamping for a search and a call is not enough to accurately match the two elements.

Recent innovations in DNI number pooling technology, however, are helping to close the quality gap and provide search marketers the best of both worlds—the ability to cost-effectively scale online-offline attribution without sacrificing attribution accuracy or impeding search marketers’ efforts to optimize programs and prove advertiser value. Mobile search providers need to ensure that they are working with DNI providers that support these advances and best practices to deliver quality results/reports.

Some of the configurable features and quality considerations that advertisers should look for include:

Category flexibility: Not all advertiser categories have the same search or calling patterns. An insurance agent, for example, would have a different call pattern than a spa. The period of time that the line should remain open to receive the call should be category-specific — not one size fits all.

Local number availability: Location matters to consumers – especially in mobile – so advertisers featuring a local number prominently on their site or app typically receive more calls. Make sure you have local numbers available for your DNI efforts regardless of the campaign size.

Dedicated number pools: Call tracking number pools should not be shared among accounts, advertisers or even websites. Confirm that your provider can offer a dedicated number pool per website so that they can ensure that all calls to the numbers in the pool ring through to the appropriate advertiser, regardless of when they call.

DNI is helping mobile marketers close the online-offline attribution gap and, with today’s advances, advertisers no longer have to sacrifice attribution accuracy in order to scale their programs cost effectively. To ensure you are yielding optimal ROI results, make sure your DNI efforts are transparent, include the latest quality measures and are tailored to reflect category-specific search and calling patterns.

Note: While some have reported that Google’s privacy policy has negatively impacted DNI, this only impacts keyword-level tracking on a limited basis for organic search queries for Google’s logged-in account users. It does not affect paid search campaigns.

]]>http://marketingland.com/dni-what-mobile-search-marketers-need-to-know-about-online-offline-attribution-46130/feed0Evolution Of Display Ad Strategies For Mobile Monetizationhttp://marketingland.com/evolution-of-display-ad-strategies-critical-for-overall-mobile-ad-growth-32900
http://marketingland.com/evolution-of-display-ad-strategies-critical-for-overall-mobile-ad-growth-32900#commentsThu, 14 Feb 2013 14:40:29 +0000http://marketingland.com/?p=32900There was a time when the worlds of search and display advertising were completely separate, given the emphasis on click-driven search ads versus branding-focused display ads. Then mobile happened — consumers shifted from desktops to smartphones and tablets as their primary “action” devices for researching and making purchases, which brought a whole new set of […]

]]>There was a time when the worlds of search and display advertising were completely separate, given the emphasis on click-driven search ads versus branding-focused display ads.

Then mobile happened — consumers shifted from desktops to smartphones and tablets as their primary “action” devices for researching and making purchases, which brought a whole new set of preferences, timing and behaviors. Not to mention a huge change in how mobile consumers now interact with ads.

The result: search and display advertising are now overlapping, leaving marketers trying to make sense of converging mobile ad platforms and what that means for driving targeted, qualified leads with limited screen real estate. Mobile display has been predicted to grow rapidly, but it must evolve and learn from the search world’s success.

Together, the two can expand together to ultimately drive a boost in overall mobile ad spending and monetization.

Attribution Key To Display Ad Growth: Track Secondary Actions

While display ads, in an online or television environment, are primarily designed to build brand awareness, the mobile environment caters toward a ready-to-buy audience with a desire to directly engage with content and move through the purchase cycle.

Search ads in mobile have historically resulted in driving users to take a secondary action, such as placing a call, downloading driving directions, accessing maps or booking a reservation. These metrics not only help users find the information they need, but also accurately assign lead attribution and indicate which ads, distribution channels and creative are generating qualified leads (rather than accidental clicks).

It’s time for display ads to evolve and cater to engaged mobile consumers with specific ad creative that drives them to a specialized landing page to fill out a form, receive an emailed coupon, learn about a new local store or product, etc., in order to monetize the action. These attribution metrics are especially important in demonstrating that display ads are yielding mobile consumer leads, encouraging marketers and advertisers to invest more in mobile display.

Leverage Local Relevancy & Geotargeting In Mobile Display Strategies

Local relevancy is one of the most critical factors marketers need to incorporate into their mobile display ad strategies. As our recent xAd-Telmetrics Mobile Path-to-Purchase study showed, the two primary reasons why mobile users interact with mobile ads are local relevancy and local offers.

Additionally, when supercharged with geotargeting technology, mobile display ads can become even more effective by being served up based on the proximity of mobile consumers to particular locales, e.g., retail stores, partner locations, relevant landmarks, etc. This combination of local ad relevancy and location-based targeting will help catapult mobile display response rates and accelerate consumers’ mobile path to purchase.

Target Mobile Display Ads Based On User Profiles & Preferences

While it is difficult to know whether every mobile ad will speak to a particular base of mobile users, today’s targeting technologies have now empowered marketers to tailor and target their ads to groups of people with particular buying propensities and profiles.

This capability plays a major role in maximizing the limited amount of messaging, or real estate, that mobile users see in display ads. The mobile ad must be compelling and relevant enough to cause them to click for further information in hopes that the prompted secondary action will help them fulfill their needs and influence their purchase decisions.

In some cases, this may mean helping mobile consumers decide to make a purchase more quickly than they previously planned or highlighting a business that they didn’t know existed.

Two examples of mobile display ads: left example incorporates a call to action/offer and local content; right example is focused on branding.

Mobile Shift In Digital Marketplace

The digital marketplace is currently experiencing an important shift as more marketers are pursuing both mobile search and display ads to reach the unique audience of ready-to-buy mobile consumers.

The promise of increased spend and monetization for the entire mobile ad category can be reached, but mobile display advertising must first evolve beyond being viewed as a pure branding play without concrete mobile metrics.

This includes incorporating the key tenets of successful search ads — including establishing secondary action strategies to drive user engagement, taking a localized approach, and targeting mobile ads based on mobile user profiles and preferences. These components will help mobile display become a true source of mobile monetization — and, when paired with mobile search, the sky will then be the limit for monetizing the overall mobile ad industry.

]]>http://marketingland.com/evolution-of-display-ad-strategies-critical-for-overall-mobile-ad-growth-32900/feed14 Tips For Capitalizing On Untapped Mobile Conversionshttp://marketingland.com/4-tips-for-capitalizing-on-untapped-mobile-conversions-26925
http://marketingland.com/4-tips-for-capitalizing-on-untapped-mobile-conversions-26925#commentsMon, 26 Nov 2012 13:00:51 +0000http://marketingland.com/?p=26925Mobile devices have increasingly become the go-to resource for consumers looking to make a near-term buying decision. In fact, our recent xAd-Telmetrics Mobile Path to Purchase Study showed that more than 60 percent of mobile searchers ultimately make a purchase, many within hours or the same day. Because mobile consumers are further along in the […]

]]>Mobile devices have increasingly become the go-to resource for consumers looking to make a near-term buying decision. In fact, our recent xAd-Telmetrics Mobile Path to Purchase Study showed that more than 60 percent of mobile searchers ultimately make a purchase, many within hours or the same day.

Because mobile consumers are further along in the purchase cycle, they represent an enormous conversion opportunity. However, monetizing this ready-to-buy audience requires tailored mobile ad strategies that reflect distinct buyer motivations and behaviors across vertical categories and even devices.

Capitalizing On Mobile Conversion Opportunities

Current mobile ad spend recommendations are low — at a recent Mobile Marketing Association event, one ROI firm recommended that mobile comprise 7 percent of ad budgets in 2013 with growth to 10 percent by 2016.

Given the high-quality, ready-to-buy nature of the mobile consumer, this is not enough to fully capitalize on the opportunity. Some industries are ahead of the curve as mobile ad spending in the Automotive industry increased nearly 375 percent from Q2 2011 to Q2 2012; but, the majority of industries need to follow suit to realize the largely untapped mobile monetization possibilities.

Here are four tips marketers can apply to capitalize on mobile conversion opportunities:

1. Avoid One-Size-Fits-All Mobile Ad Strategies

Companies considering mobile advertising campaigns simply cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach, disregarding category-specific preferences. The key to effective mobile campaigns is to first understand your target audience’s mobile preferences and purchase intent, as well as purchase cycle timing, before deciding how and where to best engage them.

To answer to these questions, marketers must consider distinct mobile user profiles including varying demographics, purchase needs and behaviors. For example, mobile restaurant users are more inclined to visit a restaurant within hours after completing a search; whereas, mobile travel users are often more research-focused during the search process and therefore take longer to convert.

Even within categories, marketers cannot assume that a one-size-fits-all approach can be effective, as mobile motivations and behavior differences within vertical segments can vary greatly. For example, purchase motivations in the automotive category range from car shopping to immediate parts and service needs; so, purchase timing and motivations need to be analyzed and targeted accordingly.

Also, as most people conduct mobile searches on an as-needed basis, the occasional-use nature of this category means it is essential for marketers to proactively target mobile Auto users through categories that reach them more regularly, such as News, Personal Finance or Entertainment.

2. Consider Mobile Usage Nuances

Another important element is determining how your mobile customers interact with apps and mobile websites, as well as which types of properties they prefer to engage with throughout their path to purchase. Using the restaurant category as an example, most mobile users visit mobile multi-category review sites like Yelp, Urbanspoon and Zagat, but they spend approximately 75 percent of their time in applications. Marketers targeting this audience need to be sure that their brand can be found both in apps and on the top mobile websites.

Marketers should also consider that smartphone vs. tablet users engage in different purchase-related behaviors. Since mobile users tend to use tablets at home and rely on smartphones while on the go, smartphones largely serve as the “action” device when consumers are ready to find and contact a business, while tablets are more frequently being used to conduct research, find reviews and compare prices. As a result, marketers must tailor mobile ad strategies to reflect varying mobile engagement patterns and preferences.

3. Prioritize Local Relevancy To Meet Mobile User Needs

As two-thirds of consumers notice mobile ads, and one out of three will click the ad if it is related to their current search, marketers have a unique window to influence searchers with valuable mobile ad content. The opportunity to drive conversions becomes even stronger if you consider that only 35 percent of mobile users have a specific brand in mind when they start a search.

To make the most of this opening, marketers must consider the top reasons that mobile consumers engage with mobile ads – local relevancy, local offers and brand recognition. These factors are critical as most consumers turn to their mobile devices to connect with a business before making a final purchase decision.

Depending on the category, up to 84 percent of mobile consumers look up a business location, maps or driving directions, and up to 73 percent look for and/or use phone numbers to contact businesses. As such, marketers must include easy-to-find location information within mobile ads, such as a local phone number and driving directions, to push these high quality, ready-to-buy consumers toward a final purchase.

4. Measure And Monetize Mobile Ad Spend

To justify an increase in mobile ad spend, marketers need to prove the success and value of their current mobile ad campaigns. This means incorporating metrics beyond the initial click to gain greater visibility into consumer response, such as tracking the number and duration of phone calls, reservations, and map or directions views.

Marketers can then use this response information to adjust future campaigns to better align with their mobile customers’ needs and demonstrate the need for higher mobile ad budgets.

By truly understanding what drives mobile users’ purchase decisions — across and within different categories — marketers can proactively reach this largely untapped audience at the right stage of their path to purchase through relevant ads that help increase overall mobile conversions.